r/AskAcademiaUK

I passed my viva back in January and still haven't gotten a job yet. I've been applying for both academic and non-academic, but I can't understand why I'm finding it so difficult to get a postdoc. I understand its incredibly competitive, but this feels so much worse than I thought it would and I'm hoping that I must be doing something wrong.

To begin with I am not able to find many relevant advertised postdocs (my field is in microbial ecology). I have also reached out to about ~15 potential PIs, some showed genuine interest in me but had no funds available to hire me. In terms of publications, I have 2 co-authorships and preparing my first first-author manuscript now, so I understand that could be limiting me.

I recently applied for a postdoc I was sure I would get an interview at least for, they asked for a very unique combination of skills that I have, so it's really knocked my confidence hearing that I didn't even get an interview.

My supervisors are not particularly helpful, when I asked them for advice on this process they pretty much just told me they would let me know if they hear of anything.

Any advice or encouragement or something to help me make sense of this would be really appreciated. Thank you for reading.

Hey folks!!

Just wondering if there are any international students here who’ve managed to get PhD studentships in the UK, especially through SGSAH or the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP).

I applied recently but got rejected, not even shortlisted for an interview, which honestly stings because my profile matched the project perfectly. I’ve got solid experience and a deep understanding of the topic, so I’m trying to figure out if this is just how competitive these schemes are, or if international applicants rarely get through.

Would love to hear from anyone who’s gotten one, or knows someone who has, just to get a sense of how realistic it is for international students to land these opportunities.

Also, any tips, strategies, or “insider wisdom” on how to strengthen applications for these kinds of studentships would be super helpful. I really want to pursue a PhD, and I feel like I’ve got the right background, but clearly I need to figure out how to make my applications stand out.

I’ve been accepted onto an MA by Research in the humanities at Warwick. My intention was to potentially apply for PhDs upon completion. However I understand that AHRC funding has now changed to be more project-based than individual-led. I’m wondering if anyone can explain how the new system works as I’m a bit confused by it. I work within English and American Studies so to be honest the likelihood of a project coming up that would be relevant to my interests is essentially nil.

Considering the changes to funding, I’m also somewhat reconsidering the MA. I would be self-funding the MA, and to be honest if the chances of undertaking a PhD are minuscule then I’m not sure if the course will be worth it.

I'm considering applying for a job at Oxbridge, but not sure if it's worth the effort, as the job was put up a few days ago and the application window is only 4 weeks. The interview date is set for 3 weeks after the closing date, with expected starting date 1 Oct this year. I have never seen any academic job ads with such tight window, so I wonder if this is one of the fake searches where they already have a preferred candidate. Anyone familiar with this system?

Re: Thanks guys for all your encouraging replies! Where I am academic jobs are normally up for 2-3 months, with starting date a year in advance, so I just wasn't sure. Thanks for sharing your experience with the UK system!

Like so many people in arts and humanities departments in the UK, my job is increasingly insecure. I've been an academic for nearly two decades and am at Prof level, with plenty of leadership experience in research and admin, success in teaching and supervision, an international reputation - all the stuff that's expected of me. But still, it's becoming more and more clear that this won't keep me safe from course closures or redundancy. I'm not in a position to leave the UK and, if I lose my job, it's highly unlikely I'll find another academic position here. I'm trying to carve out a new plan which allows me to use my research and project skills in a different way - ideally in a permanent rather than consultancy or freelance position. I'm going to talk to people in my network who I've worked with through previous impact and KE work, and friends in the public and private sector who might have some insights. But I don't really know where to start in terms of looking for jobs. Is there a jobs.ac.uk equivalent for research posts beyond academia? Have you had success in this area? I'd be very grateful for any insights: thank you.

Edit: I'm on LinkedIn, but haven't worked out how to move from an extended network of academics on there to something different

I am about to publish in a top social science journal (keeping vague to avoid doxxing). It is on a very pertinent issue where I am going against the grain and arguing directly against 6 different academics who are very well known. I build upon the argument of another very well known academic who the aforementioned 6 academics are in stark disagreement with.

The issue is not that I am proposing a “conservative” argument in a usually left-leaning field (my argument is very much not a conservative one although it may appear as such initially) but rather that it may look like it tries to limit the remit and epistemic possibilities of the field, if that makes sense? I’m essentially saying that not only are the methods used to figure this issue out faulty and overextended, but also that there for structural and fundamental reasons simply is not possible to solve this issue from the perspective of this particular academic field.

As such I am not worried that I would be pegged as ideologically incompatible with the field in a political sense but rather that I would be viewed as a nihilist who appears against the normative projects in the field of stretching it towards solving novel issues. Is this something I should be worried about when applying for a PhD? Thank you!

Good afternoon

I am a 1st year undergraduate who interviewed lecturers about why disability adaptations were not getting implemented in university to inform a solution to the problem. The 'higher ups' at the university have agreed to consider the proposal.

For some ludicrous reason, I assumed that my lecturers were immune to bias as they are very well educated on the topic. Instead, I noticed that they were actually embarrassed, angry at the system etc. I am re-designing the data analysis method and limitations section to consider this.

From the perspective of a lecturer, can I please ask what sort of biases you think could appear in an interview like this? (This project is not for an assessment.)

I've booked out some methodology textbooks so I can read about their impact. The questions were things like: what is the system? what do you think of it? strengths? weaknesses? how does this impact you? who's responsibility is this? is the system's effectiveness measured?

So far I have:

• Want to avoid appearing conservative to protect their image.
• Don't want to be perceived as victim blaming, so may omit information.
• Wants to be perceived as the 'good guy' by trying.
• Excessive praise of other members of staff to protect them from possible judgment.
• Some staff refused the interview, which may be due to opinions they see as unfavorable, or because they have less time.
• Neglecting to mention any personal resistance they had to implementing disability provisions
• Negative experiences are more memorable
• The positives were downplayed. This may be because they were not seen as relevant to the interviewer's needs or because the lecturer cannot see the success.
• Whilst I know that I cand and will protect their data as my top priority, I don't know how lecturers could assess the skills and commitment of a first year student. With lecturers being made redundant, they wouldn't not want to put themselves on the firing line by having the interview leaked by a student. (re-worded as I was highly misleading.)
• Not wanting to be judged by the student interviewer

Any suggestions that you may have are really appreciated thankyou.

Switzerland? Netherlands? Germany? Norway? Sweden? Finland? Belgium? France? Ireland? Spain/Portugal? Italy? Somewhere in the Baltics? What do these countries excel in? What can UK academia learn?

Research funding is readily available in the Nordics. Salaries are amazing in Switzerland. Taxes are lower for non nationals in Netherlands and Italy. Ireland has good job security. I suppose grass is always greener on the other side.

I’ve had a few small(ish) work-related annoyances over the last couple of weeks, my contract ends in a few month’s time, and I have some family things going on in the background. Everything seems to have caught up with me today and I can’t focus on what I really need to be doing, which is working on a funding proposal so that I stand a chance of having a job once this contract ends. And motivation is very very low.

So, on days like today, what is something useful that I could be getting on with so that I still feel like I’ve accomplished something when I get home?

I’m head of postgraduate studies at the UK institution

I rolled into this role through my research and working with PhD students. I feel that my role is distinctly different from being supervisor and realise that I have not had any formal training to act as head of program.

I’m wondering whether this is everyone’s experience or whether you feel you received more support in either supervisor training or to be becoming ahead of postgraduate studies and or doctoral training programs

Thanks!

I talked about a source (Dancy and Thoms) several times in my essay

every single time I mentioned them, I specifically stated their name in the body of the text (eg Dancy and Thoms partially agree with this notion...)

but I forgot to footnote them and bibliography them

what do I do

will I get a penalty

I am a first year undergrad

Hi guys,

Last weekend I discovered a funded PhD biology project in the UK (application deadline 1st June), and I have sent a quick EOI email this Monday (with my CV and transcript attached) to the supervisors, but I have not received a response. The project requires the student to contact the project supervisors to discuss suitability before lodging an application, and the deadline is looming close (Monday the week after), so I am thinking of following up tomorrow morning or on Friday (3-4 business days after the initial EOI).

Is this follow-up time frame appropriate? Should I play by the norm and wait until next Monday (5 business days/1 week since the last email) for the follow up, or should I follow up ASAP (like right now) to schedule a discussion if possible with both supervisors? Or should I just quit this opportunity and look for others to save time?

Thanks in advance for any insights that you guys can provide.

On paper, my career is going really well. I am in the third year of an early career fellowship, currently on an extended research visit to another institution. I've been awarded both individual and research grants, I've set up a couple of collaborations and I'm acting as co-I on those, and I recently secured a permanent position in a location I like starting at the end of the year.

However, my funding doesn't provide any lab members and so for the past 3 years I have been a one-person show. The split between experimental research, application writing, undergrad supervision, teaching, collaborations, and other admin has resulted in me feeling like I'm dropping the ball on something at all times. Added to this, being a mostly solo, semi-independent researcher has felt isolating, and one of the things I like most about research is discussing ideas with others and working as part of a team (which is why I set up the collaborations). Another contributing factor to the isolated feeling is that my funding opportunities have meant moving frequently (5 institutions in 3 counties over the past 5 years- turns out not great for lab productivity).

My experimental work has taken a huge hit as I'm in a field where you need to have significant hands-on, in-person lab time to develop projects (ideally, full time). For the past 2 years or so I have been neglecting experimental research in favour of trying to secure a permanant position/more funding (the prior 3 years I balanced research and applications pretty well). While I've now been successful in securing a position, my individual research has ground to a halt and I constantly feel like I'm letting my host/self/funders down.

For the past 12-18 months, the idea of doing experiments, which I once loved, fills me with a really intense anxiety. This has resulted in a paralysing impact on my experimental work which I hoped would pass but has not, and is almost self-perpetuating- I'm due to present my research outcomes to my host group in the next month, but don't have any. I'm also starting to wonder if this level of regular anxiety is going to impact my health.

I try to "reset" my mentality each week and try again, but the result is usually failing at putting in the requisite time and feeling awful about it. I have looked into this and it seems what I'm feeling matches definitions of stress, maybe moving towards burnout. I was curious to know if anyone else had experienced this and found ways to manage/overcome it?

Hi all,

I wanted to get some opinions here. I've had a good application cycle being admitted to lots of British institutions for an environmental history self proposed project. It's US energy history, but I've not received any funding to complete it. I've been told to wait till July, but think any funding is increasingly unlikely. I have received an offer to do this at a US institution however, with a small wage in return for teaching alongside studies (only for the academic year).

I understand the overwhelming consensus is to not self fund for a variety of reasons, but I'm somewhat considering it based on the following criteria;

- Post degree route does not strictly look like an academic career (policy, research etc. Topic is relevant to ag, power, and infrastructure amongst other things.)

- Postgraduate loan would cover tuition for three years at Cambridge, could fufill rent and living expense with work and family support.

- Best place to do US history outside the US is likely Oxbridge. Strong department focus for it, and good resources (network, clusters with environmental focus).

- No existing masters debt. I had a scholarship to study for a two year taught MA previously in the US, and completed a year exchange as an undergrad while getting my BA in American studies here in the UK. I think this has given me credibility and network with regards to my work. I did however, find it incredibly stressful at times, prone to a horrible worklife balance, and really burnt out after balancing teaching, research for a public project instead of a thesis, and coursework. I have a lot of anxiety over returning to the US, and essentially completing another two years of coursework before then studying for a further three at least.

- PhD from Cambridge is better on a CV than US institution, and might have a better network for post grad in fields outside of history.

- Can potentially return to the US post grad for post doc, and other work (Being a dual national makes this easier.)

I also understand some of the drawbacks of self funding;

- The stigma associated with it

- Difficulty accessing archives needed for work (although, I think I could make this work with a variety of means + no visa requirment)

- Difficulty in balancing work and study, although again I think this is similar to the US PhD only this time I'm closer to family and friends.

- The US institution is in a really good spot for my work regionally. But they've also told me to seriously consider Cambridge. It would likely also be different than my experience at the previous institution, but still quite hard.

- Reluctancy to accept family support; I love my family, and we're not mega mega rich. They've (unprompted) told me that if Cambridge is really what I want to do, they can help. It won't bankrupt them, but it's also not a degree in engineering or medicine.

So, I really want to do things at Cambridge but I want to see if I'm being a complete moron. I'd also be alright with the US again probably. I've reached out to various people I know in both countries in the field to see what they think. Planning on reaching out to a few Cambridge current students shortly.

TL:DR is self funding at Cambridge worth it? Will people think I'm a knob, or stupid?

EDIT: Really appreciate the variety of advice here, and the reality of some commentary. Family is not generationally wealthy. Funding situation would be a combination of post graduate loan for tuition, work and small amount of family support for rent/living. Grants for research. Current plan is to wait until July then fully commit to US institution.

Hi everyone

I’ve recently come across a PhD studentship that I’m really keen to apply for. It’s in an area that I’m becoming increasingly interested in and would genuinely love to develop further, but I don’t have a huge amount of insight yet into the research area, academic language, or what makes a strong proposal in this field.

The proposal deadline is in 20 days, and I’m currently working full time, so I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to figure out how to approach this, especially as I’ve never written a PhD proposal before.

I saw someone online mention that it can sometimes help to ask potential supervisors if they’d be willing to share a recent grant proposal or successful application so you can understand the structure/language and “recycle” parts of the style/format. But I’m not sure whether that’s actually common or acceptable in academia, particularly when applying for a university studentship (which I think this is?).

I’d really appreciate any advice on:
- how people approached their first proposal
- what’s realistic to achieve in 20 days while working full time
- whether asking to see previous proposals is normal or inappropriate
- any resources/templates that helped you

Thanks so much, feeling excited about the opportunity but also slightly panicked.

Hi guys,

I need your input on something. I have been working in the UK as a care manager in the private sector for nearly 2 and a half years. Recently, I was offered fully funded EPSRC funding from a Russell Group university, which covers both my international tuition fees and stipend. The project I’ll be working on is at the intersection of AI and healthcare, so it’s really interesting.

I accepted the offer and will switch my visa from Skilled Worker to Student visa. I know it was a very, very difficult decision. However, I made this decision for a few reasons.

First of all, I hate my job. It is full of stress and responsibility, especially as someone on a Skilled Worker visa, where you feel like you have to accept whatever comes from your employer. My work-life balance is below zero, and I am always stressed.

Secondly, given the new regulations and white paper, it seems more likely that the Health and Care visa route may become 10 years to get ILR, and I don’t want to be stuck in this job for another 7+ years.

Thirdly, I have always been an academic person and an active researcher, even when I was not a student. I have good publications and citations — 280 citations and h-index 5 — so I am thinking this PhD can improve my CV, and I can apply for a Global Talent visa after my PhD.

But what worries me is that I am married and now 32 years old. I am thinking about starting a family and having a child, but I am very worried about whether this is doable during a PhD, especially as an international student with visa restrictions.

I read that apparently for 2 months you can still receive funding without the university needing to report it to the Home Office. I cannot leave the UK. After that, maybe you can arrange with your supervisor to work from home, especially in the writing-up stage.

I would like to hear your thoughts and whether anyone has done this. I searched this topic and surprisingly found a lot of people who got pregnant and had a child as PhD students, but they didn’t have visa restrictions.

I would like to know what the best strategy is in this situation. I am someone who works hard and always tries to plan ahead in life — obviously sometimes things don’t go the way you think — but planning makes me feel more relaxed. So I would like to hear people’s experiences and what the best strategy might be, like trying to have a baby in the second year or something similar?

Hello Everyone, I am wondering if Fully funded PhD students in the UK in STEM fields are required to perform certain teaching duties or student supervision or lab equipment maintenance as part of their contract? Or are these duties optional and we get extra payments for them?

I am 33 and unmarried. I have completed my PhD in mathematics from a tier 2 private college but it doesn’t seem to be fruitful at all. Though I have papers in SCIE, SCOPUS indexed journals but I am scared that my application will not be considered for post doctorate outside India as it is not being considered at reputed institutes within India. Hence, I am thinking of doing second PhD. The age and the hardships of PhD is making me nervous. What do I do?

Hi everyone, I defended my thesis yesterday and received a passed with major revision outcome. Although the examiners said that the thesis does not require major amendments but to avoid putting the pressure on me they gave me 6 months to finish the corrections. They also wanted me to include the new versions of the chapters since they all are currently under review at different publication venues.

I have been offered a postdoc position at a CNRS lab, and my postdoc employer is asking me to provide a proof of PhD. I am worried if the passed with major corrections outcome will have an impact on my postdoc job. Will it be mentioned on the certificate or on the diploma that I got major revision?

We all know it is, I was curious about the extent.